Travel by individuals appears to be increasing all over the world. Much of such travel is by means of common carriers such as airplanes, buses and trains.
A common problem facing almost all of such travelers concerns the safekeeping of luggage which they carry into the terminals and onto the carrier (e.g., airplane, bus, train, etc.). Such items include suitcases, attache cases, handbags, cosmetic cases, and a wide variety of carrying cases of all types and descriptions. Generically all of these items are referred to herein as luggage.
If the individual does not check the luggage with common carrier for handling during the trip, then the individual is responsible for carrying the luggage and for its safekeeping in the terminal. Typically this means that the individual must keep the luggage with himself or herself at all times to prevent theft or unauthorized removal. This can be extremely inconvenient when the individual must go to the restroom, or to the restaurant, or to locate and use a telephone, particularly when the individual is carrying more than one item of luggage (e.g., a suitcase and an attache case, or two suitcases, or multiple carrying cases).
Although most terminals include a limited number of lockers which may be rented for the purpose of storing items, the lockers are not always easy to locate nor are they conveniently located for every traveler. Furthermore, the lockers are not always large enough to accommodate all the items which the individual has to store. Moreover, there is a charge for each use of the locker and that could amount to a considerable sum of money for even the occasional traveler.
Various types of locking devices have been previously proposed for securing bicycles or the like. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,906,758; 3,910,081; 4,028,916; 4,033,160; 4,064,715; 4,068,504; 4,099,394; 4,112,720; 4,126,024; 4,188,808; and 4,404,822.
However, there has not heretofore been provided any means or suggestion for a convenient locking system to prevent theft or luggage in terminals, etc. Typically bicycle locking systems are not convenient or suitable for use by persons travelling on common carriers.